A leaked App Store listing shows Apple is quietly building an indoor mapping app
Apple is quietly building an indoor mapping app that uses a combination of radio frequency data and the iPhone's sensors to pin-point a person's location within a building, according to an App Store listing (via AppleInsider).
The app is hidden on the iOS App Store but can be accessed via a direct link. "By dropping 'points' on a map within the Survey App, you indicate your position within the venue as you walk through," the app description reads.
"As you do so, the indoor Survey App measures the radio frequency (RF) signal data and combines it with an iPhone's sensor data. The end result is indoor positioning without the need to install special hardware."
The technology is likely based on WiFiSLAM, a Silicon Valley-based startup that Apple acquired for $20 million (£12.9 million) in 2013. Apple has also filed various patents related to indoor positioning and tracking.
Being able to track a position within a building is useful and continues on from other offerings from Apple, such as "Find My Friends."
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